HP Pavilion Slimline s3120n

Hey guys,
Umm, I have no idea where to go with this. My great Uncle brought me his desktop and said that "I think" Staples said that it was the motherboard. He brought it to me to verify that before he bought a new motherboard. I do not know what it was doing at the time the "problem" started(or the "problem" in and of itself). I would like to test the PSU first then the motherboard. But I don't know really how to test either one.
Any help would be greatly Appreciated.
Thanks,
Spock96

 

You can buy a PSU tester at larger computer parts stores (Fry's, MicroCenter, etc.) or order one online such as this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16899261023

Note that minor variances in the tested voltages (example:12v may read 11.8-12.4v) are normal.

If the PSU checks out, please repost with the specific issues the PC is having.

Thanks.

 

Thanks for the tip . I just checked the pc turns on but it does not show anything on a monitor. (On-board Video) I think that may have been the problem--again not sure what was wrong to start with.

 

Go ahead and clear the CMOS see if that changes anything, sometimes it works if nothing is physically wrong with any components.. Check the end of the page to see jumper setting: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...=ca&dlc=en&lang=en&lc=en&product=3440605#N488

 

Sorry it's been a few days.
Hi Sach2, I tried resetting the CMOS using those jumpers. Still no display though. What should I try next?
Spock96

 

Since you've tried an external monitor and resetting the CMOS, my guess is your Uncle's diagnosis of a bad motherboard is likely accurate.

At this point, the questions revolve around how much time and money you're willing to spend.

* First, either go online and research the specs of the make/model or post them here. The age and specs of the PC may determine if it's worth fixing and/or what (if any) parts from it can be reused.

* If it is a brand-name PC (HP, Dell, eMachines, etc.), you could attempt to find a replacement board on eBay. If you go this route, buy only from top-rated sellers in your home country that offer at least a 14-day refund if the board is defective.

* The other option may be to "recycle" parts from it into a new PC build. How many (if any) parts can be reused depend on the orig. system specs.

 

Thank you. I'll tell him .

 

Ok guys,
I've searched for hours now and I can not find any good video on how to replace the motherboard in this computer. When my uncle buys a new one I'm gonna need to know how it all comes out.
Can someone give me a hand with this please?
Thanks in advance,
Spock96

 

Hi Spock,

Back to the basic troubleshooting. You hit the power button. You say it turns on. There are two lights on the front one is power, one is hard drive activity. The power light stays on solid? Does the HD activity light do anything--blink rapidly? Does the CDROM light blink for a few seconds? If the lights have activity then it would seem BIOS is executing so I would think the motherboard is OK but you may have a video problem.

If PSU fan runs but HD and CDROM light don't show activity then it is probably motherboard.

If absolutely no fans or any lights then PSU is a problem.

Describe what happens when you hit the power button so we can make sure it is the motherboard.

 

Everything spins up and turns on(lights etc..). Just no video output to a monitor.

 

Does the HD light continue blinking for a minute or so as if the OS is loading?

I would try a video card before I replaced the MB. Do you have any card around you could test?

 

I just googled that model HP and it seems it did have a troublesome MB. I would be very leery of buying a new one of the same model. It seems HP replaced the board as part of a warranty extension for a year but just put the same board in. The new ones could fail the same way. I don't know if you will find a different board that will fit that case--I've never tried on an OEM machine. If a video card doesn't work (some people even had trouble with a video card) I'd consider just giving up on that PC as not worth fixing.

 

No, I don't have a spare video card I could try .
Staples told him that it was his motherboard when he took it to them, he just didn't want them to fix it. So he brought it to me to "double-check" that it was the motherboard, which I basically have. Right?

 

Yes, it is a bad motherboard in that it has a bad video chip. I just think you should advise him not to buy another of the same board because it is not just a random problem but a specific problem that effects a large proportion of that model board.

If it were me, I might take a chance on a basic $50 video card but would not put any money into replacing the board or trying to reuse that case etc. The case is small and apparently runs a bit hot, the PSU is marginal etc. That is just my opinion.

 

What type of video card should I look for?

 

I just completed an OS reinstall and RAM upgrade on a Slimline s3100n last night, and I have to agree. The machine is worth only minimal effort/expense in repairing.

That said, reviewing the s3120n specifications, you will require a PCIe x16 video card (not too hard) with a low-profile (bit harder), and one that won't overload the 160W Power supply. (Yikes).

It may be worth reviewing Tiger Direct's Selection of video cards. It appears there are many low profile cards using full-profile expansion slot brackets, so you may need a bracket kit, too. From there, you would just need to find one that won't consume more than the remaining wattage from the power supply (sadly, I can't find wattages for the components of the machine, so I can't provide an estimate there).

Another complication is that it appears (according to HP's specs) that this computer already has a TV tuner occupying the PCIe slot, so you would have to sacrifice this to install a new video card.

Personally, I would cannibalize the RAM, processor, hard drive, and TV tuner card, and move on.

 

Thinking I'll just stick with a different Motherboard for now.

 

Your choice of course. Again, just be careful not to overload the power supply. The thing is pretty weak. It would just barely power a couple of incandescent light bulbs, lol. It would be a shame to toast good parts because of it.

 

I've been reading up and the more I read about that model HP the worse it sounds. Several people have had problems with the PCIe slot not working. The other problem is that the BIOS is probably set to onboard video and I'm not sure you will be able to see the screen to change to PCIe.

I did see replacement identical boards on ebay, some of which are supposed to be new, and they run around $80. So in that price range if your uncle is insistent on repairing the computer getting another of the same board might be an option and just take your chances on how long it lasts.

One thought on using a different model board in that case is that the power supply apparently is an unusual main connector so you may need an adapter to fit a normal 20+4 MB connection. This isn't the cable you would need (it is for if your were to upgrade the power suppl and had to make a connection to the current board) but it shows that your board has some type of smaller 24pin connector and so does your power supply. So if you change the board you will need to adapt the current power supply to fit the motherboard unless the new MB has this small 24 pin connection.

 

Thanks guys. I think(don't quote me on this) But I think he just wants to use it to watch t.v. I'm not sure though.